# Thirsk (UK Parliament constituency)

Thirsk was a parliamentary borough in Yorkshire, represented in the English and later British House of Commons in 1295, and again from 1547. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832, and by one member from 1832 to 1885, when the constituency was abolished and absorbed into the new Thirsk and Malton division of the North Riding of Yorkshire.
The borough consisted of originally of the town of Old Thirsk, and included a population of only 1,378 at the 1831 census. The right to vote was restricted to the holders of burgage tenements, of which there were 50 in 1831. The Frankland family were the local landowners (in 1816 Sir Thomas owned 49 of the 50 burgage tenements), and in effect could nominate whoever they wanted as Members of Parliament; there was no contested election in Thirsk between 1715 and 1832.
The Great Reform Act 1832 expanded the boundaries to include the townships of Thirsk, Sowerby, Carlton Miniott, Sandhutton, Bagby and South Kilvington, increasing the population to 4,672 and encompassing 1,064 houses, which was considered big enough for the borough to retain one of its two members.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency re-created (1547)

### MPs 1547–1660

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1547 | Sir William Cavendish | Robert Flint |
| 1553 (Mar) | Thomas Lee | Reginald Beseley |
| 1553 (Oct) | Thomas Eynns | John Gascoigne |
| 1554 (Apr) | Thomas Waterton | Reginald Beseley |
| 1554 (Nov) | Christopher Lascelles | Edward Beseley |
| 1555 | Christopher Lascelles | Robert Roos |
| 1558 | Christopher Lascelles | Thomas Eynns |
| 1558–9 | Thomas Eynns | Francis Wilstrop |
| 1562–3 | Thomas Eynns | Christopher Lascelles |
| 1571 | John Dawney | Thomas Layton |
| 1572 (Apr) | John Dawney | Edward Gates |
| 1584 | Sir John Dawney | Robert Bowes |
| 1586 (Oct) | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1588–9 | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1593 | Sir John Dawney | Henry Bellasis |
| 1597 (Sep) | George Leycester | Thomas Belasyse |
| 1601 (Oct) | Henry Bellasis | John Mallory |
| 1604–1611 | Sir Edward Swift | Timothy Whittingham |
| 1614 | Thomas Belasyse | Sir Robert Yaxley |
| 1620 | Thomas Belasyse | Sir John Gibson |
| 1624 | Thomas Belasyse | Sir William Sheffield |
| 1625 | Henry Belasyse | Henry Stanley |
| 1626 | Henry Belasyse | William Cholmeley |
| 1628 | Christopher Wandesford | William Frankland |
| 1629–1640 | No parliaments summoned | No parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | William Frankland | | John Belasyse | |
| November 1640 | Sir Thomas Ingram | Royalist | John Belasyse | Royalist |
| September 1642 | Ingram and Belasyse both disabled from sitting - seats vacant | Ingram and Belasyse both disabled from sitting - seats vacant | Ingram and Belasyse both disabled from sitting - seats vacant | Ingram and Belasyse both disabled from sitting - seats vacant |
| 1645 | William Ayscough | | Francis Lascelles | |
| December 1648 | Ayscough excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | Ayscough excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant | | Francis Lascelles |
| 1653 | Thirsk was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Thirsk was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Thirsk was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Thirsk was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | Colonel Thomas Talbot | | Major General Goodricke | |
| May 1659 | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump | Not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | Barrington Bourchier | | William Stanley | |
| July 1660 | Barrington Bourchier | | The Earl of Ancram | |
| 1661 | Sir Thomas Ingram | | Walter Strickland | |
| 1671 | Sir Thomas Ingram | | Sir William Frankland | |
| 1673 | Sir William Wentworth | | Sir William Frankland | |
| 1679 | Nicholas Saunderson | | Sir William Frankland | |
| 1681 | Sir William Ayscough | | Sir William Frankland | |
| 1685 | Thomas Frankland | | Sir Hugh Cholmeley | |
| 1689 | Thomas Frankland | | Richard Staines | |
| 1695 | Sir Godfrey Copley | | Richard Staines | |
| 1698 | Sir Godfrey Copley | | Sir Thomas Frankland | |
| 1709 | Leonard Smelt | | Sir Thomas Frankland | |
| 1710 | Ralph Bell | | Sir Thomas Frankland | |
| 1711 | Ralph Bell | | Thomas Worsley | |
| 1713 | Ralph Bell | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1717 | Thomas Pitt | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1722 | William St Quintin | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1727 | Thomas Robinson | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1734 | Frederick Meinhardt Frankland | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1747 | Frederick Meinhardt Frankland | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1749 | William Monckton | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1754 | Roger Talbot | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1761 | Henry Grenville | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1765 | James Grenville | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1768 | William Frankland | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1774 | Thomas Frankland | | Thomas Frankland | |
| 1780 | Sir Thomas Gascoigne | | Beilby Thompson | |
| 1784 | Sir Thomas Frankland | | Sir Gregory Page-Turner | |
| 1785 | Robert Vyner | | Sir Gregory Page-Turner | |
| 1796 | Sir Thomas Frankland, Bt | | Sir Gregory Page-Turner | |
| 1801 | William Frankland | | Sir Gregory Page-Turner | |
| 1805 | William Frankland | | Hon. Richard Griffin | |
| 1806 | James Topping | | Robert Greenhill-Russell | Whig |
| 1807 | William Frankland | Whig | Robert Greenhill-Russell | Whig |
| 1815 | Robert Frankland | Whig | Robert Greenhill-Russell | Whig |
| 1832 | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member | Representation reduced to one member |

### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1832 | Sir Robert Frankland | Whig |
| 1834 by-election | Samuel Crompton | Whig |
| 1841 | John Bell | Whig |
| March 1851 by-election | Sir William Payne-Gallwey | Conservative |
| 1880 | Hon. Lewis Payn Dawnay | Conservative |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Thirsk :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Whig | Robert Greenhill-Russell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig | Robert Frankland | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Robert Greenhill-Russell | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Robert Frankland | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 50 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Robert Frankland | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 254 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Frankland resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 21 March 1834: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Samuel Crompton | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Samuel Crompton | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 267 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Samuel Crompton | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 283 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Bell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 328 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Bell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 332 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

Bell's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 21 March 1851: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1852: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 357 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1857: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 398 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1859: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 414 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 380 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1868: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | 416 | 51.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone | 390 | 48.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 806 | 89.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 902 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Payne-Gallwey | 410 | 50.1 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal | Henry Miles Stapylton | 409 | 49.9 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.2 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 819 | 87.6 | −1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 935 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Thirsk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lewis Payn Dawnay | 485 | 52.9 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal | Henry Miles Stapylton | 422 | 46.0 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Sir William Frankland, 9th Baronet | 10 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 6.9 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 917 | 90.4 | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,014 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.4 | |